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By: Little Willow,
on 4/30/2013
I've recommended five fantastic stories by Christopher Golden (Prowlers), Thomas E. Sniegoski (Fallen), Scott Westerfeld (Uglies), Justine Larbalestier (How to Ditch Your Fairy), and Holly Black (The Curse Workers). These books include angels, shapeshifters, surgeries, good luck, and bad luck, among other things. 
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 3/1/2013
Contributors: Thomas Wellmann, Nadine Redlich, Warwick Johnson Cadwell, Olaf Albers, Max Fiedler, Rita Fürstenau, Lomp, Michael Meier, Lisa Röper and Andreas Schuster.
I’m delighted comics anthology Karagoz is finally available online for everybody to buy. It’s an anthology I enjoyed immensely after picking it up at Thought Bubble last year from contributor Warwick Johnson Cadwell’s table, having been instantly drawn by that great cover; a quick flick through being enough to establish this was something worth buying. Karagoz is, above else, simply a visual smorgasbord and a really fun read. And not enough comics are fun- either they’re busy trying to propagate certain messages or addressing specific issues or being experimental. Let’s face it- it’s not the easiest thing to combine fun with more challenging material.
Which makes it refreshing to read something absorbing and light. The quality of illustration on display here is a sky-high stand-out point, from Nadine Redlich’s covers to Rita Furstenau’s 4 page mythic folk-tale and wonderfully detailed endpapers, to Max Fiedler’s dreamscapes, to Thomas Wellman’s energetic centre-fold ‘Warzards’ spread. There’s so much to take in in these vistas, something going on in every corner, each individual character busily involved in his own shenanigans.
The comics are pretty good, too. A favourite is Meier’s unnerving ‘Michael’ contemplates the future evolution of the android after David in Ridley Scott’s Prometheus. Meier hones in on the science fiction trope of what it means to be human, and the inevitable manner in which artificial intelligence prove themselves to be so by mirroring the worst of us: Michael has been programmed to consume and want without ever feeling fulfilled.
Karagoz is pretty much a humour anthology, and Lomp’s Golge and Schuster’s Koala Adventures are both similarly amusing in tone: Golge begins with an ominous Galactus-esqe destroyer in the starry night sky but proves to be something else, while Schuster’s shorts see his cute slacker Koala engage in various non-tasks. Cadwell’s Black Imps vignette is imbued with his signature frenetic lines and style and an oozing cool attitude\.
There is the odd damp squib- Lisa Roper’s Before and After flet out of place, and Olaf Alber’s Kontakwano a little too zany in execution, though his cartooning is fantastic. The length of the stories is kept short, and is interpolated with the double page illustration spreads which keeps things interesting and the pages aturning, never allowing for boredom. Overall, Karagoz is a gem of an anthology and one you would be remiss not to pick up.
By: Julie,
on 12/31/2012
Welcome to my Happy New Year 2013 Giveaway Hop, hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and co-hosted by Babs Book Bistro. This hop runs from January 1st – 7th 2013, and you can win lots of new reads. Click here for a complete list of blogs participating in the hop.
I am giving away a finished copy of Tim Lebbon’s London Eye.
About the book:
The Hunger Games meets The X-Men in an exciting post-apocalyptic debut.
Two years after London is struck by a devastating terrorist attack, it is cut off from the world, protected by a military force known as Choppers.
The rest of Britain believe that the city is now a toxic, uninhabited wasteland. But Jack and his friends, some of whom lost family on what has become known as Doomsday, know that the reality is very different.
At great risk, they have been gathering evidence about what is really happening in London, and it is incredible. Because the handful of Londons survivors are changing. Developing strange, fantastic powers. Evolving.
Entering is easy! Just fill out the widget below. Earn extra entries for following! US addresses only, please.
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By: David Elzey,
on 10/2/2012
The Graphic Novel by Madeleine L'Engle adaptation by Hope Larson FSG 2012 The classic middle grade book gets a solid graphic novel treatment by award winning artist Hope Larson. The weird thing about graphic novel adaptations is that they tend to be much longer than their source material, and they rarely convey all the details and explanations in their retelling. Graphic novels conceived as
By: Julie,
on 5/2/2012
Veronica Scott is making a return appearance in the virtual offices, this time to discuss her new book Wreck of the Nebula Dream. Check out what she has to say about this futuristic twist on the Titanic.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] Can you tell us a little about your new book, Wreck of the Nebula Dream?
[Veronica Scott] The novel is a loose re-imagining of the Titanic disaster, set in the far future, among the stars.
Traveling unexpectedly aboard the luxury liner Nebula Dream on its maiden voyage across the galaxy, Sectors Special Forces Captain Nick Jameson is ready for ten relaxing days, and hoping to forget his last disastrous mission behind enemy lines. He figures he’ll gamble at the casino, take in the shows, maybe even have a shipboard fling with Mara Lyrae, the beautiful but reserved businesswoman he meets.
All his plans vaporize when the ship suffers a wreck of Titanic proportions. Captain and crew abandon ship, leaving the 8000 passengers stranded without enough lifeboats and drifting unarmed in enemy territory. Aided by Mara, Nick must find a way off the doomed ship for himself and several other innocent people before deadly enemy forces reach them or the ship’s malfunctioning engines finish ticking down to self destruction.
But can Nick conquer the demons from his past that tell him he’ll fail these innocent people just as he failed to save his Special Forces team? Will he outpace his own doubts to win this vital race against time?
[Manga Maniac Cafe] How did you come up with the concept and the characters for the story?
[Veronica Scott] My grandfather always said he had a relative on the Titanic, a Second Class woman passenger who did survive. I grew up with stories of the sinking and was completely fascinated by it. What would I do if I was in a similar situation? Do you get on the lifeboat? Trust that the ship won’t sink? What if all the lifeboats are already gone?
Science fiction and paranormal romance are my favorite genres, so when I decided to write a book based on the Titanic events, I immediately knew I wanted to set the action in the far future, on an interstellar luxury liner. In my SF I like to write Special Forces heroes, so then I had to figure out how and why a man like Nick would be traveling on such an expensive civilian vessel. Who would he likely meet? Who was a reasonable love interest? That led me to Mara, my very capable intergalactic business executive…and I kept going from there. Who else might need rescuing? What challenges would they face?
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What was the most challenging aspect of writing the book?
[Veronica Scott] Making time in the action, after the disaster hits, for the characters (and the Readers) to breathe for a moment or two, and for Nick and Mara to have a chance to develop their relationship. There’s no time for too much romantic heat when you’re trying to escape from a drifting hulk and save your life, but there is some warmth between the hero and heroine. They’re attracted to each other from the first time they meet at the spaceport.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What would scare you the most if you were trapped on the Nebula Dream with Nick and Mara?
[Veronica Scott] Not to provide too much in the way of spoilers, but there are some pretty intense encounters with alien pirates, including a point where Nick has to make a difficult choice between his oath as a military officer and his desire to save his little group of stranded passengers. That would be a frightening moment – if the survivors lose Nick their chances plummet to pretty much nil.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What three words best describe Nick?
[Ve
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By: artistaggie,
on 5/10/2012
By: Julie,
on 6/4/2012
Debut author Sangu Mandanna has a lot to be excited about. Her debut novel, The Lost Girl, hits stores in August, and it’s already generating a ton of buzz. Sangu took some time out of her busy schedule to introduce herself and to chat about her book.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] Describe yourself in 140 characters or less.
[Sangu Mandanna] Creative, stubborn… fun? I like elephants. And Sherlock Holmes. And bookshelves with sliding ladders.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] Can you tell us a little about The Lost Girl?
[Sangu Mandanna] It’s a book about Weavers who stitch echoes, copies, from scratch. And it’s about one of those copies, a girl called Eva who has grown up having to be just Amarra, her original or ‘other’, but all she wants is to be herself. When her other dies, she has to step into her shoes, live her life, convince the world that Amarra is still alive. She’s not allowed to break the Weavers’ laws, she’s not allowed to run away, and she’s not allowed to fall in love with the wrong person. Only she does.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] How did you come up with the concept and the characters for the story?
[Sangu Mandanna] I read Frankenstein in my second year of university and I remember wanting to write a whole story from the Creature’s point of view, and that made me think of someone stitching life from scratch, which made me think of a sad, eerie Tim Burton-esque Loom, with Weavers stitching echoes out of dust and bones, and I guess the world just slowly developed from there. I didn’t actually write it at the time, just sort of scribbled ideas down, but I didn’t think anything would come of it because I couldn’t see a real story.
Then, that summer, Eva appeared in my head. And I knew I had to write about her. The rest of the characters quickly became just as real and compelling to me. Having said that, if you were to ask my husband, he’d insist a certain character named Sean is a fictional version of him (he’s not).
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What was the most challenging aspect of writing the story?
[Sangu Mandanna] Ending it. I love this world and the characters so much. Once I started writing THE LOST GIRL, I realized I could have gone on writing it forever. I still hope to write more about Eva, because her story isn’t over yet, but if I’d let myself keep going it would have been very much a case of STOP NOW, EGAD, THE BOOK’S ABOUT THE SIZE OF A HIPPO.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What three words best describe Eva?
[Sangu Mandanna] Brave, passionate, fiery. And none of them necessarily in a good way, either.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What are three things Eva would never have in her bedroom?
[Sangu Mandanna] Unfortunately Eva’s never really been able to choose what she’s had or hasn’t had in her bedroom! But if she could, the three things she’d never have: mango pickle, a Jane Austen novel, and Amarra’s boyfriend Ray.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What are your greatest creative influences?
[Sangu Mandanna] Frankenstein was a huge influence on THE LOST GIRL, but other influences would be Daphne du Maurier (her writing is just so beautiful), Tim Burton (because he creates strange, sad, interesting things) and Eva Ibbotson (just because her books are so funny and lovely).
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What three things do you need in order to write?
[Sangu Mandanna] Music, something to drink, and an exceedingly tidy desk. You won’t believe how much an errant pencil bothers my eye.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] If you had to pick one book that turned you on to reading, which would it be?<
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By: Contributing Bloguistas:,
on 6/8/2012
by Rudy Ch. Garcia
For varied reasons, when I was growing up in San Anto, one thing set our home off from the others--we read science fiction. My father--the cabrón--assumedly was the precursor of this, though I can't say about my abuelos. The reading of sci-fi (yeah, I know some authors hate the term) continued long after we kicked el cabrón bruto's ass out of the house and began a semi-nomadic life through shanties and the projects. I kept the tradition alive.
I remember when and how I acquired the bug, the one time our sire read us a short story called The Rag Thing. Me and the others were all curled up in the bed with him and listening to this crazy dishrag that turned into a monster and ate the whole town. Actually, the cabrón stopped before the ending and never finished it for us. But we wanted to know how it turned out, so I became the reader from my siblings. Among other genres, I continue reading sci-fi to this day.
At some point in the past I decided to try mi pluma at getting something published. It finally happened this year when cyberpunk founder Rudy Rucker, Sr. accepted the story Last Call for Ice Cream on his personal webzine at Flurb.net.
Here's how Rucker described it:
"Rudy Garcia’s Last Call for Ice Cream is a hypnotic stew of spanglo slanguage, wry and funny, with a special surprise in every sentence, and a renegade view of life in these United States."
Now, when Rudy Rucker likes one of your stories, in the sci-fi world that's a gigantic plus. When your story is rife with "spanglo slanguage," it's a bigger deal because we know how hard it is for the mainstream lit world to accept "latino lit."
El cabrón is dead and can't read the story and there's no doubt some Freudian slivers to this whole thing in my life and this post, but let's set that aside.
When I read the following review of my story, I got surprised, and, sure, offended somewhat:
"The issue ends with Last Call for Ice Cream by Rudy Ch. Garcia, a rambling piece about a guy trying to write a vidscript. It has so much slang that it becomes tiresome very quickly." [by Sam Tomaino]
I guess Tomaino didn't like it much, though I don't know if the slang he refers to is the spanglo slanguage or the English terms I invented. Not to accuse him of monolinguistic prejudice, I put the vato's critique into the realm of no le cai, because to some people maybe the story is "tiresome."
The incident got my brain clicking, wanting to explore some old questions in new ways.
Do Chicanos/latinos read sci-fi? How much, how many? Why don't more? How many are writing sci-fi? Should more latinos be writing it? Why don't we have a bronce version of the Black Science Fiction Society or afroamerican sci-fi mags? Is there some significance to the answer of any of these?
Consider this only the beginning of a series to explore these and other questions that I haven't imagined. I welcome input from anyone--writers, readers, non-latinos, aliens--to see what new directions we might give the topic.
And if you want to add the either side of the critique of my first accepted sci-fi story, make certain you mention Garcia or Rucker, depending on which Rudy you're referring to.
Es todo, hoy
RudyG
By: Julie,
on 8/3/2012
[Manga Maniac Cafe] Describe yourself in 140 characters or less.
[Lisa Stasse] Arty. Writer. Reader. Caffeinated. Photographer. Librarian. Obsessive. Passionate.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] Can you tell us a little about The Forsaken?
[Lisa Stasse] It’s a dystopian thriller about a girl named Alenna Shawcross who fails a government personality test (she’s diagnosed with subversive tendencies and a capacity for brutal violence) and gets banished to a mysterious prison island called "the wheel." She has to learn how to forge alliances among the wild tribes that control the island, and also avoid government machines that kidnap kids. She and some friends finally mount a risky escape attempt.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] How did you come up with the concept and the characters for the story?
[Lisa Stasse] It was a merger between a dream I had (about being stalked on an island by men in robes with knives) and a friend’s sister worrying about taking the SAT. That was the seed of the idea for "the wheel"–a horrific place you got sent if you failed a mandatory test at school. I guess it’s a nightmare version of the SAT and other similar tests.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What three words best describe Alenna?
[Lisa Stasse] Perseverant. Smart. Fighter.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What are three things Alenna would never have in her pocket?
[Lisa Stasse] Money, bullets, matches.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] If Alenna had a theme song, what would it be?
[Lisa Stasse] "Get Free" by Major Lazer (a side project of the producer Diplo–if you haven’t heard the song it’s really awesome. check it out on iTunes!)
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What are your greatest creative influences?
[Lisa Stasse] I’m really influenced by books, music, and movies. Other writers are probably the biggest influence on me, from Stephen King to Suzanne Collins to JK Rowling to Margaret Atwood and Orson Scott Card. I always listen to music when I write too, so that’s a huge influence. Right now I’m listening to the new album by the Dirty Projectors (a great indie rock band) and also some stuff by Florence and the Machine. As for movies, I’m beyond excited to see The Dark Knight Rises! I also just saw The Cabin in the Woods, which was great and had one of my favorite crazy endings of any movie this year (Joss Whedon is an influence for sure).
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What three things do you need in order to write?
[Lisa Stasse] Music, coffee and my laptop!
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What is the last book that you read that knocked your socks off?
[Lisa Stasse] Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans (I read it as an ARC last week–it’s fantastic).
[Manga Maniac Cafe] If you had to pick one book that turned you on to reading, which would it be?
[Lisa Stasse] Where the Wild Things Are (I loved it as a little kid and I still do!) Also love Pride and Prejudice and Lord of the Flies.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What do you like to do when you aren’t writing?
[Lisa Stasse] Well, I’m a digital librarian at UCLA so I’m usually working on that. I love m
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By: Julie,
on 8/6/2012
Here are some new and notable books that are releasing this week:
Check back tomorrow for YA and MG releases
(Please hit your refresh button if the images don’t load)
Sweet Deception by Heather Snow
Kiss of the Moon by Lisa Jackson (eBook)
A Woman Made for Pleasure by Michele Sinclair
The Spymaster’s Daughter by Jeane Westin
A Lady Never Lies by Juliana Gray
The Black Isle by Sandi Tan (Kindle eBook is 4.99!)
Contemporary
Sweet Talk by Julie Garwood
One Night Rodeo by Lorelei James
White Hot by Nina Bruhns
Hell on Wheels by Julie Ann Walker
The Grass King’s Concubine by Kari Sperring
Libriomancer by Jim C Hines
Precinct 13 by Tate Hallaway
Time Untime by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Biting Cold by Chole Neill
Master of Darkness by Angela Knight
Desire After Dark by Jo Carlisle
Kept by Seduction by Jaymie Holland
Lover’s Instinct by Katie Reus (eNovella)
Mina Wentwork and the Invisible City by Meljean Brook (eNovella)
Originally Human by Eileen Wilks
King of Thorns by Mark Lawrence
A Wolf at the Door by K A Stewart
Two Weeks’ Notice by Rachel Caine
Seawitch by Kat Richardson
The Iron Wyrm Affair by Lilith Saintcrow
Soul Weaver by Hailey Edwards
Heart of Darkness by Kira Brady
Fragile by Shiloh Walker
A Lady Can Never Be Too Curious by Mary Wine
Are any of these on your to buy list?
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By: Julie,
on 9/24/2012
|
Title: Playing with Fire Author: Tamara Morgan Publisher: Entangled Publishing |
May Contain Spoilers
From Amazon:
Fiona Nelson has always been one hot ticket—even before she took the conversion serum that gave her superhuman abilities. Fiona’s powers come at a price: lack of human contact, or she won’t be the only thing burning. When she loses control of her emotions, her fire powers run rampant…and she’s hurt enough people already.
Including herself.
But when the man behind her conversion returns to blackmail her into helping him gain power, the only person she can turn to is Ian Jones, the man who broke her teenage heart. The man determined to expose the criminal known as Fireball, whose explosive escapades are just a little too close to Fiona’s M.O.
Ian is convinced Fiona’s dangerous, convinced she’s Fireball, and convinced he’ll damn himself if he doesn’t resist a heat that’s always drawn him to Fiona like a moth to a flame—but Ian has his own secrets.
And he’ll learn far too soon what happens when you play with fire.
Review:
I am a huge fan of superheroes, and when I saw that Entangled was publishing a series of novellas about super heroes, I had to read them. It was a little scary at first, because I was afraid I’d be disappointed, but Playing with Fire by Tamara Morgan is a fun, action-packed introduction to the Holding out for a Hero anthology series. I loved this story, and it even featured one of my favorite tropes – the second chance. This read kept me entertained from the first page to the last, and I can hardly wait to read more of the anthology.
Fiona is a character I could immediately sympathize with. She has the ability to hurl fire balls, but it comes at a steep price. When her emotions get out of control, her powers do too. She’s afraid of getting close to anyone because she is terrified of hurting them, and her last, failed attempt at intimacy ended disastrously, with her lover being badly burned. To make this situation even worse, she didn’t even want the superhuman abilities to begin with. Her manipulative boyfriend coerced her into it, and now she’s resigned herself to a sad and solitary life.
Into her life steps Ian, her childhood friend and the boy who broke her heart. He was also responsible for her being bullied at school, so I did have a few issues warming up to him. To be fair, Ian tried to rectify his past mistakes, but there were times when I felt that he didn’t do enough. When it was his friend taunting Fiona, he quickly tried to put an end to the hurtful name calling, but when all Fiona wanted was for Ian to trust and believe her, he fell a little short. In the end, he does gallantly redeem himself, but of the two of them, Fiona is obviously the more heroic.
I enjoyed the world building, and am interested to see how other authors tackle a new world where superheroes , and super villains, could live next door.
If you are looking for a fast-paced read with gobs of action, romance, and danger, look no further. Playing with Fire was quickly gobbled up, followed by a “Please, sir, may I have some more?” plea from me.
Grade: B+
Review copy provided by publisher
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By: Julie,
on 9/30/2012
There are a ton of awesome releases this week, so I split the adult list into two parts. First up are the PNR/UF and Fantasy titles. So many of these are on my wish list! What’s on yours?
Check back tomorrow for new romance releases.
Click on the covers for the Amazon product page.
  |   |   |
Dark Currents: Agent of Hel by Jacqueline Carey (Oct 2, 2012)
Daughter of the Sword: A Novel of the Fated Blades by Steve Bein (Oct 2, 2012)
Death’s Rival: A Jane Yellowrock Novel by Faith Hunter (Oct 2, 2012)
  |   |   |
Ember’s Kiss: A Dragonfire Novel by Deborah Cooke (Oct 2, 2012)
Ghosts of Memories: A Vampire Memories Novel by Barb Hendee (Oct 2, 2012)
Ironskin by Tina Connolly (Oct 2, 2012)
  |   |   |
London Eye (Toxic City Book One) by Tim Lebbon (Oct 2, 2012)
Mate Claimed (Shifters Unbound) by Jennifer Ashley (Oct 2, 2012)
Mortal Ties (Lupi) by Eileen Wilks (Oct 2, 2012)
  |   |   |
Phantom Shadows (Immortal Guardians) by Dianne Duvall (Oct 2, 2012)
Revelation (A Novel of the Seven Signs) by Erica Hayes (Oct 2, 2012)
Savage Hunger by Terry Spear (Oct 2, 2012)
  |   |   |
Skarlet: Part One of the Vampire Trinity (Vampire Babylon Trilogy) by Thomas Emson (Oct 2, 2012)
Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone (Oct 2, 2012)
Werewolf in Denver: A Wild About You Novel by Vicki Lewis Thompson (Oct 2, 2012)
  |   |   |
Wicked Whispers (Castle of Dark Dreams) by Nina Bangs (Oct 2, 2012)
Courting Trouble by Jenny Schwartz (Oct 1, 2012)
Mark of the Witch (The Portal) by Maggie Shayne (Oct 1, 2012)
Wild Hearts in Atlantis by Alyssa Day (Oct 2, 2012)
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By: shelf-employed,
on 10/7/2011
 |
| Houghton Mifflin Trade and Reference Division Distinguished book publishing since 1832 |
OH. EM. GEE!"speed lines" that appear whenever he moves quickly, painfully poking nearby classmates (and later requiring "sweeping up" by the custodial staff), a habit of walking in the wrong direction,
Do you see that?
It's a head!
in the air!
I did it again, didn't I?
Left to Right.
Why can't I remember that?
By: shelf-employed,
on 10/24/2011
Unlike the original Geronimo Stilton series, the Papercutz titles (I haven't read them all) are a blend of fact, fantasy and adventure, à la Magic Tree House. Following is a review of the 7th book in the series.Moldy Mozzarella! That's not a cloud.and in integrated panels that contain encyclopedia-style facts, the reader learns about each dinosaur featured in the story, as well as information on flowers, plants and prehistory in general. In keeping with the style of the original Geronimo Stilton series, the fonts in the dialogue bubbles are often varied in size, style or color.
It's a quezacoatlus!
It's enormous!
And looking for prey ...It's heading for us!
HIDE!
Look! It's going away.
Thank goodness ... I wouldn't have wanted to end up in its belly!
We were lucky! The quezacoatlus is the biggest flying animal that ever lived.
 |
| The Discovery of America ©Papercutz |
Reading level: Young Adult Maximum Ride and the other members of the Flock have barely recovered from their last arctic adventure, when they are confronted by the most frightening catastrophe yet. Millions of fish are dying off the coast of Hawaii and someone--or something--is destroying hundreds of ships. Unable to discover the cause, the government enlists the Flock to help them get to the bottom of the disaster before it is too late.
While Max and her team are exploring the depths of the ocean, their every move is being carefully tracked by Mr. Chu--a criminal mastermind with his own plans for the Flock. Can they protect themselves from Mr. Chu's army of mercenaries and save the ocean from utter destruction?
Plot High Point:
Main Characters:
0 Comments on Maximum Ride: Max (#5) By James Patterson as of 1/1/1900
By: David Elzey,
on 11/10/2011
by Laurel Snyder Random House 2011 As her parents are going through a separation, a girl finds a magical bread box that can grant her almost any wish she can imagine. But what if what she wants can't fit inside the bread box? There is no arguing, divorce is rough on families. It's usually rough both before and after for all parties, but especially so during and no more so than on kids
By: Inspired Kathy,
on 1/10/2012
Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.
Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone - one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship - tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.
Now, Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.
By: Inspired Kathy,
on 1/27/2012
Me? A Leader? Okay, I did prove that there's more to Inside than we knew. That a whole world exists beyond this cube we live in. And finding that led to a major rebellion - between worker scrubs like me and the snobby uppers who rule our world. Make that ruled. Because of me, we're free. I thought that meant I was off the hook, and could go off on my own again - while still touching base with Riley, of course. He's the one upper I think I can trust. But then we learned that there's outside and then there is Outside. And something from Outside wants In.I wouldn't go so far as to say I was disappointed with this sequel because I did like it. I just didn't love it like I hoped I would. Being such a fan of Maria's Study Series I had high expectations for this book and this sequel didn't quite live up to those high expectations.
Before the end of The Search for WondLa, Eva Nine had never seen another human, but after a human boy named Hailey rescues her along with her companions, she couldn’t be happier. Eva thinks she has everything she’s ever dreamed of, especially when Hailey brings her and her friends to the colony of New Attica, where humans of all shapes and sizes live in apparent peace and harmony.
But all is not idyllic in New Attica, and Eva Nine soon realizes that something sinister is going on—and if she doesn’t stop it, it could mean the end of everything and everyone on planet Orbona. Three illustrations trigger a 3-D Augmented Reality flying game that mimics action in the novel.
Featuring an abundance of lavish two-color illustrations and spot art throughout and introducing a host of remarkable characters that reinforce the importance of friendship, A Hero for WondLa has all the hallmarks of a classic book—of the future.
All Jack Blank knows is his bleak, dreary life at St. Barnaby’s Home for the Hopeless, Abandoned, Forgotten, and Lost, an orphanage that sinks more and more into the swampland of New Jersey with each passing year. His aptitude tests project him as spending a long, unhappy career as a toilet brush cleaner. His only chance at escape comes through the comic books donated years ago to the orphanage that he secretly reads in the dark corners of the library. Everything changes one icy gray morning when Jack receives two visitors that alter his life forever. The first is a deadly robot straight out of one of his comic books that tries its best to blow him up. The second is an emissary from a secret country called the Imagine Nation, an astonishing place where all the fantastic and unbelievable things in our world originate - including Jack. Jack soon discovers that he has an amazing ability--one that could make him the savior of the Imagine Nation and the world beyond, or the biggest threat they've ever faced.
By: Julie,
on 2/24/2012
Aubrie Dionne is the author of the New Dawn series, a sci-fi romance offering from Entangled Publishing. Since there aren’t many sci-fi romances out there, I was curious about Aubrie’s series, so I asked her to drop by the virtual offices for a chat.
[Manga Maniac Café] Describe yourself in 140 characters or less.
[Aubrie Dionne] Coffee lover, flutist, blogger, closet unicorn lover, driven, hard working, a little too intense at times, clothes hoarder, eye shadow guru, princess wannabe, afraid of public speaking, abhorer of eggplant, pizza devourer, cookie monster. That about sums it up.
[Manga Maniac Café] Can you tell us a little about your New Dawn series?
[Aubrie Dionne] This series follows colony ships as they leave a post apocalyptic Earth searching for paradise planets to restart mankind.
There’s everything I’d want in a space opera: spaceships, mysterious aliens, answers to the universe, laser battles, scary monsters, handsome space pirates, evil space pirates, desert planets, ice worlds, jungles, I could go on forever!
[Manga Maniac Café] How did you come up with the concept and the characters for the series?
[Aubrie Dionne] I’m a big worry wart, and I worry about the end of the Earth all the time. I think I watched too many of those Ancient Alien episodes about the Mayan Apocalypse. Anyway, I wondered what it would be like if we could colonize other planets. What if people had to live their whole lives on a ship and each generation furthers the mission to the paradise planet? You know, normal things a musician thinks about while sitting in orchestra counting her rests.
[Manga Maniac Café] What has been the most challenging aspect of writing the series?
[Aubrie Dionne] Ummmm….tying it all together! The third book is my masterpiece. I thought about it for many long and hard hours trying to tie in every single thread from the last three books. I didn’t want anyone to say: what about those mysterious aliens, where did they go? Or what happened to Aries and Striker? Or, she never explained the golden liquid stuff in the orb. I wanted everything wrapped up and dealt with in a satisfying way. That was hard. I’m not sure I pulled it off. You’ll have to read the series to make your own judgment!
[Manga Maniac Café] Why did you decide to write science fiction romance? What appeals to you most about the genre?
[Aubrie Dionne] I grew up watching Star Wars and Star Trek, so you can see where the inspiration came from. I wish there was a new Star Wars movie every six months, but sadly, they are all done. (WHY? Secret message to George Lucas- make more. ) So, I had to write my own space opera to keep myself busy!
[Manga Maniac Café] What are your greatest creative influences?
[Aubrie Dionne] Music, my flute playing, Star Wars and Star Trek (as stated above), all movies to a certain extent, and other books of all genres.
[Manga Maniac Café] What three things do you need in order to write?
[Aubrie Dionne] Computer, internet-for research, Radio Gaia internet radio.
[Manga Maniac Café] If you had to pick one book that turned you on to reading, which would it be?
[Aubrie Dionne] OMG I have to share this but it’s embarrassing: The Secret of the Unicorn Qu
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By: Shelagh Watkins,
on 3/7/2012
Gunnar C. Garisson is an old soul, warrior poet living well out of his time. He spends his days fiercely defending his family from all manner of threats and demons that probably do not even exist, while expanding his practice of writing fiction, music, and the fine art of mead making.
Hi Gunnar, please tell everyone a bit about yourself.
Gunnar: First and foremost, I am a husband and a father of two wonderful children. I am an Engineer and General Contractor by trade who has recently shifted careers from running my own remodeling company and working with various Engineering and Surveying firms as a consultant, to freelance writing online and writing Science Fiction/ Fantasy novels. I suffered a bad accident on a rooftop that rendered me unable to continue in my previous line of work, but gave me all the excuse I needed to start writing full time. Using a wealth of life experience and related knowledge, I’ve been fortunate to have an arsenal of fuel for the creative fire at my disposal. It’s as they say, when God closes a door, he often enough opens a window, and what a glorious window indeed!
I have always felt the compelling need to vent my creativity publicly, and did so mostly through my crafts, such as music, custom woodworking, martial arts and sword making, as well as the brewing of fine mead through the refinement of an Old Norse recipe that has been handed down for generations. Though I am truly a starving artist in a very literal sense, I am finally able to dedicate the time I never had to pouring the vast reservoir of creative energy inside me into a new vessel: my new Science Fiction/ Fantasy trilogy.
When did the writing bug bite, and in what genre(s)?
Gunnar: For me, it’s always been about Sci/Fi and Fantasy writing. I grew up obsessed with life outside of this plane of existence, and looked for any and all means of egress one could drum up at an early age, never really feeling like I truly belonged here. Playing many different RPG’s at a young age led to the writing of content and scripts for gaming, then was followed immediately by the outright designing of whole worlds and characters, many of which are still alive and well, living within my stories….
Briefly tell us about your latest book. Is it part of a series or stand-alone?
Gunnar: I am currently starting work on Book III of an epic Sci/Fi Fantasy Trilogy that stemmed from my debut novel, Critical Mass. The sequel, Planeshifters, was just released as an eBook and both are being typeset for print as we speak.
How do you develop characters? Setting?
Gunnar: As an Engineer, my mind is always on the lookout for problems and their potential solutions. That being said, it didn’t take me long, living deep in the concrete jungle of the Greater Seattle area, to foresee an overpopulated world where the quality of life for our grandchildren suffers for the lack of planning in our and our parents’ time. Living on the cusp of homelessness since my accident has also given me an intimate perspective as to the ostracizing of the poor by the rich, and where the future of that phenomenon lies as the middle class is slowly eradicated and the sociological plot thickens. This very possible reality is the setting for the beginning half of the first book, however, where it goes from there is the product of several recurring dreams from my youth, as well as the influx of my overactive imagination and quite a bit of self indulgent, dark humor.
Who’s the most unusual/most likeable character?
Gunnar: I would say Kaitlyn or Sky, as she’s called later; a very strong, y
By: shelf-employed,
on 3/22/2012
By: Julie,
on 4/9/2012
To celebrate the release of The Galahad Legacy, the final book in Dom Testa’s Galahad series, Tor Books is hosting a scavenger hunt blog tour! You can win the entire Galahad series, as well as learn more about Dom and his books. Today I have an excerpt from The Galahad Legacy for you to enjoy. If you want to read all of the excerpts, please visit this link at Tor Books.
Excerpt:
|
“Well, besides the smoky haze, I could see things moving around inside. Various sizes. Very graceful. Almost…peaceful.” Lita stared at Triana for a moment, then said: “The thing you brought back. I take it that was one of the…graceful creatures inside the…” She chuckled. “I don’t know what to call anything.” A wry smile creased Triana’s face. “Well, for the sake of this discussion, and until we know more, let’s just continue to call the things outside our ship vultures. We can call the floating blobs amoebas. And the thing I brought back…” She hesitated, then finally shrugged. “Well, we all know exactly what it looks like, so let’s be blunt. We’ll call it a jellyfish.” |
Please visit Bookshelf Banter tomorrow for the next excerpt from the second chapter of The Galahad Legacy.
Want to learn more? You can follow Dom Testa at these websites:
* Follow Dom on twitter: @HeyDomTesta
* Like Dom on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DomTesta
Watch Dom discuss his books:
Dom will be making several public appearances in April. If you live nearby, stop in to say “Hi”
* Saturday, April 14th: Murder by the Book, Houston, TX; 11:00 am
* Wednesday, April 18th and Thursday, April 19th: Texas Library Association Annual Conference, Houston, TX; various times
* Friday, April 20th: Barnes & Noble, 1000 Research Drive, Austin, TX; 7:00 pm
* Saturday, April 21st: Barnes & Noble, 15900 La Cantera Parkway, San Antonio, TX; 2:00 pm
GIVEAWAY TIME!
You can enter for a chance to win the entire Galahad series! Following gets you extra entries. Open to US and Canadian addresses only.
a Rafflecopter giveaway <a href=”http://rafl.es/enable-js”>You need javascript enabled to see this giveaway</a>.
Didn’t win? You can order the series from your favorite bookseller, or by clicking the widget below:
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By: Cheryl Rainfield,
on 4/11/2012
I’m so excited! I just found out that HUNTED got a 4/4 star, glowing review in CM Magazine! (beaming and beaming) It’s such a feel-good thing to get a glowing review, most especially when I put so much of myself into my books.
I love that the reviewer, Ann Ketcheson, got that Caitlyn is a strong-girl character who fights against oppression, and I especially love that she got this: “Hunted is not the science fiction of spaceships and aliens but something much more subtle and so close to realistic that it is frightening. Perhaps there are no Paras in society as we know it, but we still struggle with people who are seen to be somehow different from societal norms.”
and this:
“Rainfield asks many tough questions, but deciding what you truly believe in and then being willing to stand up and fight for it is the real centrepiece of this novel. ”
It felt so good to read this review!
I believe you're right - if they've read the graphic novel, most kids won't track down the original novel, but it could happen - after all, there have been occasions when my kids have tracked down a novel after seeing a movie adaptation, sure that some of the "good stuff" got lost along the way. It seems more likely that kids who love the original novel might, however, track